


Forty-Five Minutes

by wesleycrushers



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-10
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 07:15:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29328384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wesleycrushers/pseuds/wesleycrushers
Summary: A routine noise complaint call turns dangerous fast when a fire ignites at a UT Frat House.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Kudos: 126





	Forty-Five Minutes

**Author's Note:**

> Tarlos heavy, but I tried to include all the characters.

**One**

“Let’s go Longhorns!” A young man shouts before sliding down the stair banister face first, landing in the arms of his friends. He’s decked out in UT Austin gear.

The crowd of college students cheer, raising plastic cups. Florida Georgia Line blares over the sound system. It’s a clear night in Austin.

Upstairs, a group of students sit in a bedroom, passing around a lit hand-rolled cigarette. A blonde girl takes a hit, blowing the smoke into the face of the boy sitting next to her. He coughs, shaking the bed and spilling his full drink onto the carpet. She laughs, passing the cigarette off to the next person.

**Five**

The music and yelling from the house can be heard from inside the home of a middle-aged woman. She sighs, putting down her book, and walks over to the window in her living room. Across the street is the Sigma Rho Fraternity house.

The woman scowls and pulls out her cell phone.

**Fifteen**

Officer Carlos Reyes arrives on scene, pulling up outside the frat house.

“Austin PD!” Carlos shouts over the noise banging on the door. “There’s been a noise complaint!”

“How can I help you, officer?” A man, clearly drunk but trying very hard to appear sober answers the door.

“I don’t want to be the bad guy here, but you guys have to keep the volume down. This is a residential area.” Carlos glances past the man into the house. The place looks ransacked, and a faint haze is just barely noticeable at the top of the stairs.

“There aren’t any illicit substances at this party are there?” Carlos asks the man.

“Why? Did you want some?” The man grins. Carlos nods.

“Can I come in?” Carlos asks.

“Sure man, whatever.” The man steps aside, letting Carlos into the house. Carlos walks over to the stairs, where the unmistakable smell of marijuana is starting to filter its way down from the second floor.

**Seventeen**

A girl spots Carlos from upstairs, running into the room where several of her fellow students are still smoking.

“Guys, guys, ditch the stash. Cops are here!” She whisper-shouts.

The man currently holding the blunt tosses it, still lit, into a small plastic trash can. A different girl gets up, rushing to open the window, knocking the trash can over in the process.

“Alright folks, I know you want to have fun, but pot isn’t legal in Texas.” Carlos enters the room.

The papers inside the trash can start to burn. The fire catches more of the contents of the trash can before reaching the alcohol-soaked carpet.

**Nineteen**

"911, what is your emergency?" Grace Ryder asks calmly.

"Fire! There's a fire!"

**Twenty-Two**

The 126 rushes to the Sigma Rho Fraternity House, site of a fire.

“Judd, Mateo, get those hoses hooked up! Marjan, TK, Paul, start getting people out of there!” Captain Owen Strand shouts to his team. They run off to their jobs.

TK stops on his way towards the house, looking at the APD squad car parked outside.

“TK, let’s go!” Marjan shouts, glancing back at him. “Oh no.”

“That’s Carlos’ car.” TK blinks, his grip tightening around the fire axe.

“TK. Come on.” Paul runs up to him. “If Carlos is in there we have to help him.”

TK closes his eyes, turning away from the car. He takes a deep breath, before running into the inferno.

**Twenty-Three**

Carlos coughs, and tries to wave away the smoke. A gray-orange haze is broken by red-orange flames surrounding him and a handful of partygoers. One girl sobs.

“Austin FD! Is anyone up here?” A female voice calls out.

“Officer Reyes! I’m with four students! We’re trapped!” Carlos responds.

“Carlos?”

“Marjan?”

“Carlos!” A male voice shouts.

Carlos would know that voice anywhere.

**Twenty-Four**

TK rushes past Marjan up the stairs, towards Carlos. He’s met with flames, licking the ceiling.

“Carlos!” TK shouts. “Are you okay?”

“Some burns on my arm, smoke inhalation! There’s a guy here who twisted his ankle when he tried to run!” Carlos shouts back.

“Is there any way you can get out! Any windows?” TK can’t see anything past the smoke and flames.

“I opened a window!” A female voice shouts.

“Okay, great! I’m going to get a ladder up to it, and get you guys out!” TK starts to make his way back down the stairs.

“But it’s in the room where the fire started!” The girl shouts again.

TK stops.

**Twenty-Seven**

Judd aims the firehose at the one open window on the second floor, which flames are spewing out of.

“Paul says Officer Reyes and four students are trapped upstairs.” Owen tells Judd.

“Wait, Carlos is here?” Mateo asks, frowning. “That’s not good.”

“No part of this situation is good, Probie.” Judd grunts.

“Their only exit is that room.” Owen points up at the open window. “Which is also the place where the fire started.”

“Dad!” TK runs up, followed by Paul and Marjan.

“Dad, Carlos is inside.” TK looks worried, his eyes beginning to get misty. 

“I know. We’re working on getting him, and everyone, out.” Owen claps a hand on his son’s shoulder.

**Thirty-Five**

The smoke and flames from the room start to die down a little. Owen waves the ladder truck into position. TK make his way up to the window.

“Austin FD! Are you all alright up here?” TK yells into the room.

“Help!” A man shouts. TK shimmies his way into the room.

“I’m coming to you!” TK walks towards where he hears the voice shouting.

“TK!” Carlos suddenly appears in front of him. “We gotta get this kid out of here.”

The kid in question, a young man wearing a Longhorns t-shirt, is lying on the floor. His right ankle is twisted in the wrong direction, the area swollen and purpling.

“Male, possible broken ankle. I’m going to need a basket.” TK says into his radio.

“Do you think you can get him to the window?” EMS Captain Tommy Vega responds.

“I think so.” TK squats down next to the man. “Do you think you can stand? I can help you.”

“Yeah.” The man nods, slowly sitting up. TK holds him up, letting the man lean on him for support. Carlos goes to his other side, and the three make their way towards the window. Paul and Judd are there, with the basket

“Okay, careful. Careful.” TK helps Paul get the man strapped in, and Paul and Judd get him down to Tommy.

The floor creaks loudly.

“That didn’t sound good.” Carlos looks at TK.

“Time to go!” TK shouts back at the rest of the students.

“Carefully! One at a time!”

**Forty-Four**

The last UT student starts down the ladder. TK turns to Carlos.

“You next.”

Carlos takes a step forward. The floor groans, and caves.

Carlos falls.

“Carlos!” TK cries out.

**Forty-Five**

Carlos lies in a pile of smoldering rubble, eyes closed, not moving.

**-/-/-**

At the hospital, Grace passes out coffee, before sitting next to Judd. He kisses the side of her forehead, and the two begin to silently pray. Tommy sits across from them, also praying. Marjan hugs herself, looking over at Paul who lets out a raggedy breath. Mateo messily tries to wipe his tears away.

Owen stands near the window, looking into the room where TK sits next to Carlos’ bed.

Inside, a tearful TK holds Carlos’ left hand.

Carlos is bandaged up. His right arm and both legs are in casts. A machine beeping steadily indicates that his heart still beating.

“Carlos.” TK’s voice is a shaky whisper. “Please. I can’t lose you. I can’t.”

TK begins to fully cry. His sobs rack his body, prompting Owen to rush into the room.

“TK. TK, I’ve got you.” Owen engulfs his son in a hug. TK shakes, sobbing.

“I’ve got you.” Owen pets TK’s hair soothingly. “I’ve got you.”

A pained groan from the bed interrupts Owen, and both men look at Carlos, whose eyes are just barely open.

“Carlos.” TK turns back towards his boyfriend.

“Everything hurts.” Carlos winces.

“You broke an arm, both legs, and several ribs when you fell.” TK takes Carlos’ hand again. Owen backs out of the room.

“I guess now we’re even for the gunshot.” Carlos begins to chuckle but immediately stops. “Owww.”

“No, this is much worse than that.” TK leans over and kisses Carlos’ cheek. “I thought you were dead when I saw you lying there.”

“Can’t get rid of me that easily.” Carlos’ squeezes TK’s hand and slowly turns his head to look at his boyfriend.

“I never want to get rid of you.” TK lifts Carlos’ hand up, kissing his knuckles. “I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Carlos smiles. “Forever.”

**-/-/-**

Carlos makes a full recovery. No one dies from the fire. 


End file.
